Based on an analysis of 460 Facebook posts trending in Iraq on April 21, 2025, Miqrab AI identified several key narratives dominating online conversations. The most engaged-with topic was a political controversy surrounding allegations that the Iraqi government is providing benefits to fighters associated with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly al-Jolani). Another major theme was the widespread reporting of Pope Francis’s death, which prompted condolences from top Iraqi religious and political figures and sparked discussions about his legacy of peace. Other significant trends included coverage of Prime Minister Al-Sudani’s visit to Dhi Qar to launch development projects, high-level diplomatic meetings, law enforcement actions against celebratory gunfire, and reporting on local industrial achievements.

Today’s Top 10 Facebook Trends in Iraq:

1. Controversy Over Benefits for Ahmed al-Sharaa’s Allies

A highly engaged post by Haider al-Hamdani (Post Impact: 100%) sparked major controversy by alleging the Iraqi government is granting retirement salaries, land plots, and jobs to the families of fighters linked to Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. The post critically questions why “billions are allocated to Ahmed al-Sharaa’s comrades.” In contrast, other pages, including Mohammed Nasser Khalif (Post Impact: 19%) and Iraqi Media Center (Post Impact: 2%), shared clips of analyst Haidar al-Barzanji defending al-Sharaa, claiming he fought against both al-Qaeda in Iraq and ISIS in Syria. This divided narrative highlights a significant debate over the status and potential state recognition of fighters with controversial affiliations.

2. Widespread Mourning and Reactions to Pope Francis’s Death

Numerous Iraqi pages reported the death of Pope Francis at age 88, as announced by the Vatican, leading to an outpouring of condolences. The page Al-Khowa Al-Nadifa (Post Impact: 18%) noted that the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani offered condolences, praising the historic meeting between the two religious leaders in Najaf for promoting coexistence. Steven Nabil (Post Impact: 20%) praised the respectful statements from top Muslim leaders while condemning negative reactions from extremists online. Others like Muna Sami (Post Impact: 9%) and Al-E’lami Qahtan Adnan (Post Impact: 12%) recalled the Pope’s messages of peace from his 2021 visit to Iraq, referring to him as a “dove of peace.”

3. PM Al-Sudani Launches Major Projects in Dhi Qar

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani’s visit to Dhi Qar province was extensively covered on his official page, Engineer Mohamed Shia Alsudani (Post Impact: 10%), and amplified by pro-government pages like Al-Qasr Al-Hukoumi (Post Impact: 5%). The posts detailed the launch of three strategic projects with a total cost of 2.195 trillion dinars, including a power plant, an integrated medical city, and infrastructure for the Suq Al-Shuyukh district. The Prime Minister’s page also shared details from his inspections of the Nasiriyah International Airport, now 47% complete, and the historic city of Ur, emphasizing his government’s focus on development, job creation, and tourism.

4. Interior Minister Visits Saudi Arabia for Security Talks

The visit of Iraqi Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari to Saudi Arabia garnered attention. The minister’s official media office, on the page The Media Office of the Minister of Interior (Post Impact: 2%), reported that he and the head of the Iraqi Hajj and Umrah Authority met with Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud. The meeting focused on joint security coordination and organizing the travel of Iraqi pilgrims to the holy sites. A video shared by Maher Muhyi::Sawt Humat al-Watan (Post Impact: 11%) showing Saudi soldiers saluting the Iraqi minister was circulated to highlight the positive diplomatic relations.

5. Security Forces Arrest Men for Celebratory Gunfire

Several pages reported on law enforcement actions against the illegal and dangerous practice of celebratory gunfire. Support of the Iraqi Security Forces (Post Impact: 7%) and Fid Daqiqa (Post Impact: 4%) both reported that security forces had arrested two individuals for shooting weapons randomly during a celebration in Baghdad’s Dora district. The page Aziz Nasser (Post Impact: 6%) also shared a video of the arrests by the Karkh police, warning viewers that the end result of such actions is imprisonment.

6. Diyala Prepares for First-Ever Visit by President

The page Diyala TV (Post Impact: 6%) announced that the President of Iraq was scheduled to visit Diyala province for the first time. In subsequent posts, the page shared images and videos of preparations in the province, including digital billboards displaying welcome messages for the president. This coverage emphasized the local significance of the high-level official visit.

7. Iraqi Cardinal Louis Sako Mentioned as Potential Pope

In the wake of Pope Francis’s death, a narrative emerged on Iraqi social media about a potential successor from Iraq. The pages Min Baghdad (Post Impact: 4%) and Saqr Al Zakaria (Post Impact: 2%) both reported that Cardinal Louis Sako, the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq, is considered the only candidate from the Middle East to potentially assume the papacy. This news was framed as a moment of national pride, with calls for state institutions to support the “historic nomination.”

8. Former MP Ahmed al-Alwani Reportedly Released

The release of former Member of Parliament Ahmed al-Alwani was covered by local news pages. Al-Adhamiya News (Post Impact: 3%) alleged that politician Khamis al-Khanjar had paid a blood money settlement exceeding three billion dinars to facilitate the release. Concurrently, Anbar My Province (Post Impact: 2%) shared a recent photo of al-Alwani, confirming his release to the public.

9. Rafidain Bank Denies Suspension of Visa and Mastercards

An official statement from Rafidain Bank was circulated to combat rumors that its payment cards were being suspended. The page Tamkeen for Electronic Payment in Iraq (Post Impact: 2%) and Min Al-Iraq (Post Impact: 2%) both shared the bank’s clarification. The statement assured customers that its “Mastercard and Visa cards are working normally inside and outside Iraq” and urged the public to get information from official sources only.

10. Local Industrial and Development Projects Praised

Pages celebrated Iraqi industrial innovation and development projects. Iraq Projects (Post Impact: 17%) highlighted what it called the “first and largest” factory for solar panel production in Karbala, a project managed by the Abbasid Holy Shrine. In a similar story of local production, the Mosul (Post Impact: 9%) page reported on a Mosul-based factory producing large air coolers at “half the price of imported” ones. These posts collectively promoted a narrative of national self-reliance and economic progress.